Tacx Turbo Talks

Carlos Verona of Movistar Team joins the Turbo Talks ahead of La Vuelta. He talks about his season so far (2:17), ambitions and his role for La Vuelta (4:00), the final grand tour of Alejandro Valverde (7:39), this year's course of La Vuelta (9:43), his planned debut on the gravel scene later this season (13:30), and his Vuelta podium prediction (18:25).

Mikkel Honoré of Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team joins the Turbo Talks podcast ahead of the start of the 2022 Tour de France. He shares his excitement about the start in his home country of Denmark and making his Tour de France debut (1:15), discusses the impact of Covid-19 on the peloton (6:25), his preparation and form coming into the Tour (8:43), and his role, ambitions, and thoughts on the route (13:10), before he answers your fan questions (17:50).

Richie Porte of INEOS Grenadiers joins the Turbo Talks podcast on the second rest day of the Giro d'Italia. He talks about the hard final week coming up (0:57), how challenging the first two weeks of racing have been (3:03), the vibe within INEOS Grenadiers with Carapaz in pink (5:10), comparing his time at Team Sky with today's INEOS Grenadiers (7:31), his current role versus being the team leader (9:42), and nearing the end of his cycling career (14:05).

Triathlete Beth Potter joins the Turbo Talks podcast. She talks about her sporting background and running career (2:45), her transition into triathlon, the challenges faced, and progression made (4:03). She then talks about running the unofficial 5,000m world record last year (12:17), Super League Triathlon and the type of training that helped her prepare (14:28), her season goals and ambitions for the future (19:58).

In 2022, Women's WorldTeam, CANYON//SRAM Racing added a second team as part of its long-term Diversity and Inclusion program. The newly founded CANYON//SRAM Generation team is registered as a Women's Continental Team. Canyon//SRAM Generation's Diversity and Inclusion expert Tina Kalkschmid and Sports Director Adam Szabo join the Turbo Talks podcast for a deep dive on this development team and its diversity and inclusion program. Firstly, Tina explains the rationale behind starting the team and the need for diversity and inclusion within cycling (1:28), the selection process (5:25), shared values within Canyon//SRAM (9:52) and the push for gender equality in and through cycling (12:05). Then Adam talks about the performance side of the selection process (15:26), the team's race calendar (18:27), the riders integration in Girona (19:52), and where the focus lies in their development (24:27). To wrap it up Adam and Tina tell us what would make 2022 a successful year for Canyon//SRAM Generation (25:58).

Robert Gesink of Team Jumbo-Visma joins the Turbo Talks for the first episode of 2022. He shares what he thinks makes a great pain cave for training (3:46), tips to enjoy the longer sessions (9:25), his favorite trainer sessions (13:09), how his training changed throughout his career (15:20), talks about the importance of training off the bike (18:40), and he discusses the upcoming 2022 season and his role on the team (24:35).

Riejanne Markus of Team Jumbo Visma Women joins the Turbo Talks for stage 4 of the Garmin Never Stop Series. She talks about and her off-season activities (1:42), growing up in a sporting family (4:37), bike adventures (7:52), her 2021 season and riding with Ellen van Dijk and Annemiek van Vleuten in the mixed team time trial (14:23), and her preparation and goals for the 2022 season (21:02). This episode is available to listen on your regular podcast channels or via Zwift during stage 4 of the Garmin Never Stop Series from 15 - 19 December 2021.

Mikayla Harvey of Canyon SRAM Racing joins the Turbo Talks for stage 3 of the Garmin Never Stop Tour. She shares how recent outdoor adventures in New Zealand helped her break down mental barriers (1:39), the challenges faced and lessons learnt during the 2021 season (6:11), the physical and mental benefits of yoga and pilates (10:49), the positive impact her family has on her career (12:12), her most daunting and favourite training sessions (15:05), her love for a ginger crunch slice and baking (19:37), and she hands out some hydration and nutrition tips for your indoor rides (22:55). This episode is available to listen on your regular podcast channels or via Zwift during stage 3 of the Garmin Never Stop Tour from 11 - 14 December 2021.

Chris Juul-Jensen of Team BikeExchange joins the Turbo Talks podcast for stage two of the Garmin Never Stop Series on Zwift. He talks about the epic wet edition of Paris-Roubaix (2:40), his mixed feelings about the 2021 season (11:59), how racing has changed since the start of the pandemic (14:18), a shift in his training approach over winter (15:58), his contract extension at Team BikeExchange (21:25), and his off-season activities (26:58).

Andri Frischknecht of SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing joins the Turbo Talks podcast for stage 1 of the Garmin Never Stop Tour. He talks about using his Tacx Neo 2T next to riding MTB, CX, and on the road (1:54), growing up in a cycling family and choosing MTB (4:40), earning a spot on the team (9:19), how he uses his Garmin Edge 830 Plus (13:43), lessons learnt from Nino Schurter and the 2021 season (23:13), the impact of MVDP and Tom Pidcock on the MTB scene (27:02), and his goals for 2022 (29:47). This episode is especially created for stage 1 of the Garmin Never Stop Tour from 3 - 6 December 2021 on Zwift.

Harry Tanfield of Team Qhubeka NextHash joins the Turbo Talks to talk about his 2021 season and off-season activities (1:11), how he uses his Garmin devices (5:21), the benefits of riding on the Tacx Neo 2T (14:00), and what his training looks like during the winter (22:10). He then shares the workout that indicates if he's ready to race or not (29:50), how he did a lab test the day after the national championships (32:30), before giving his best advice to keep fit during winter (36:15).

Kasia Niewiadoma of Canyon SRAM Racing joins the Turbo Talks podcast to preview the 2021 UCI Road World Championships in Flanders. She talks about the consistency in her performances (1:26), her mental approach to the sport (5:16), her preparation for the World Championships (10:20), the course, scenarios, and tactics (13:00), and Anna van der Breggen as her role model (22:58).

Hugh Carthy of EF Education - Nippo joins the Turbo Talks podcast ahead of La Vuelta a España. He talks about his preparation including his recent stage win at Vuelta a Burgos (1:15), last year's podium finish at La Vuelta and how his role on the team has changed (10:38), riding without a power meter on his bike (14:46), how he uses his Garmin devices (16:16), his thoughts on this year's Vuelta course (18:10), and his objective for this Grand Tour (24:07).

Sepp Kuss of Team Jumbo-Visma joins the Turbo Talks the day after his stage win at the Tour de France. He talks about his victory (1:15), the tough first two weeks of the Tour de France (8:40), his role on the team after adversity hit early on in the Tour (10:55), and his outlook on the final week of racing (16:40).

Niamh Fisher-Black of SD Worx joins the Turbo Talks ahead of the Giro d'Italia Donne. She talks about the start of her career and her breakthrough in 2020 (1:03), her development and the experience of riding for SD Worx (6:11), the upcoming Giro d'Italia Donne (11:21), and the importance of its live coverage (14:58).

Tao Geoghegan Hart of INEOS Grenadiers joins the Turbo Talks ahead of the 2021 Tour de France. He talks about the last few days in the lead up to his Tour debut (0:57), the team's approach to the race (3:37), the course (9:38), and his fantasy league tips (11:50).

Dario Cataldo of Movistar Team joins the Turbo Talks podcast on the second rest day of the Giro d'Italia. He talks about the challenging conditions the riders have faced so far (1:04), sharing his experience with the young riders on the team (4:05), the change in team tactics after Marc Soler had to abandon (7:05), stage hunting in the final week (12:29), and what it’s like being part of Movistar Team (15:42).

Cam Meyer of Team BikeExchange joins the Turbo Talks podcast ahead of the 2021 Giro d'Italia. He looks back at starting his first Giro in 2009 riding for Team Garmin (1:17), talks extensively about his role as domestique and riding for team leader Simon Yates (3:29), studying the Giro route and its preparation (10:15), using his experience to overcome difficult moments (14:37), managing his efforts over a three week period (17:25), and what success would look like in this Giro (22:35).

Italian triathlete Ilaria Zane joins the Turbo Talks to talk about the upcoming Super League Triathlon Arena Games. Ilaria talks about the unique concept of the race and what is needed for a successful race (1:50), her training leading up to the event and monitoring her results (10:10), and she shares her excitement for the race and planned debut over the half distance (19:47).

Mountain bike rider Gusti Wildhaber of CUBE Actionteam joins the Turbo Talks podcast. He talks about training with Nino Schurter (1:24), what it is like to ride Enduro races and how he became a professional (3:50), and shares stories about his injuries and surgeries (8:17). He then talks about how he uses his Garmin devices for training and racing (14:10) and looks ahead to the 2021 season (16:08).

Alex Camier, Performance Manager and Coach at Team BikeExchange, joins the first Turbo Talks of 2021. He explains his role at the team (1:20), how they plan the preparation and use periodisation towards the first goals of the season (3:57). He shares Amund Grøndahl Jansen's build up towards the classics as an example (12:16) and recaps the different training phases and their purpose (15:51). Alex then talks about how this translates to amateur cyclists, and how cross training and riding on the Tacx can fit in (22:01).

Edvald Boasson Hagen of NTT Pro Cycling joins the Turbo Talks to talk about the UCI Esports World Championships. He shares what he has been up to in his off season, his thoughts on the World Championships course and everyone using the Tacx Neo 2T as a setup, the tactics and challenges of riding on Zwift, his preparation for the Worlds and the 2021 season, and he answers fan questions about his new team and the upcoming season.

João Almeida of Deceuninck - Quick Step joins the Turbo Talks to talk about his 4th place finish in the Giro d'Italia. He talks about the impact of his performance back in Portugal (1:00), how he ended up racing the Giro and his goals going into it (5:21), the mental challenge of riding a grand tour and defending the pink jersey (10:11), riding for Deceuninck - Quick Step and alongside Remco Evenepoel (14:23), before answering a bunch of Turbo Talks fan questions (19:11).

Simon Clarke of EF Pro Cycling joins the Turbo Talks to preview the 2020 UCI Road World Championships in Imola, Italy. He talks about recovering from a big crash in Tirreno-Adriatico (0:57), World Championships tips from Cadel Evans (4:54), his thoughts on the course and the impact of weather conditions (7:17), the strength of the Australian team and riding in the green and gold (14:24), his podium prediction (18:32) and how the pandemic affected his training and season planning (23:48).

This bonus episode of the Turbo Talks is the audio version of the Never Stop Cycling | Virtual Recon with Sam Bewley of Mitchelton-SCOTT. Sam rides up La Planche des Belles Filles on his Tacx indoor trainer while sharing his insights about the finishing climb of the individual time trial of stage 20 of the Tour de France. You can watch the virtual recon here: https://blog.tacx.com/virtual-recons/

Dylan van Baarle of INEOS Grenadiers joins the Turbo Talks ahead of the 2020 Tour de France. He talks about the unusual lead up to the event and if a line up without Froome and Thomas affects the team and its tactics (1:42), and his role on the team and his ambitions as a rider (7:47). He then shares how the pandemic has changed the Tour experience for him as a rider this year (14:35), before answering rapid fire questions about his moustache amongst others (19:01).

Tom Dumoulin on the Tour de France, his preparation, and Team Jumbo-Visma's dominance (Ep. 40) by Tacx

Toms Skujinš of Trek - Segafredo joins the Turbo Talks to talk about the restart of the cycling season. He shares what he has been up to during quarantine (1:54), talks about their final training camp ahead of the restart (4:03), his upcoming racing program and season goals (7:15), a preview and his affection for the Strade Bianche (13:17), and he answers a couple of Garmin fan questions of the week (19:15).

Ella Harris of CANYON//SRAM Racing joins the Turbo Talks podcast. She talks about racing at 1am in the morning (1:23), dreaming of reaching the highest level in cycling (2:20), turning pro as a Zwift Academy winner (7:31), a strong but strange start of the 2020 season (9:58), racing the virtual Tour de France (13:44), returning to Europe (19:53), and her development as a rider (21:55).

Aike Visbeek, Academy Director of SEG Racing Academy, is our guest on this episode of the Turbo Talks. He talks about helping talented riders become professional cyclists through the academy (1:27), how he started coaching and the satisfaction it brings (4:09), the importance of young riders' willingness to develop at SEG (8:36), their shift to SEG eRacing Academy during the pandemic (13:05), and why riding indoors is here to stay (16:13). He then outlines the SEG Performance Challenge that SEG and Tacx run together which gives young riders a chance to be discovered and invited to a SEG training camp (21:10). For more information about the SEG Performance Challenge visit http://tacx.com/segchallenge

Adam Hansen of Lotto Soudal is the latest guest on the Turbo Talks. He shares how life in lockdown was quite enjoyable for him (1:33), his love for Michael Jordan's 'The Last Dance' documentary (5:38), his testing and training approach during lockdown (13:01), 3D printing activities (23:40), where future gains are to be made in cycling (30:41), and he looks ahead to the shortened 2020 race season (49:34).

Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio of CCC-Liv joins the Turbo Talks podcast for a Zwift special. She talks about how the lockdown made her embrace indoor training on Zwift (1:43), how she adapted to training on the Tacx (6:57), the opportunities Zwift provides for teams, riders, and women's cycling (11:07), what Zwift actually is and how it can satisfy every cyclist's needs (18:35), and how indoor training lead to a new QOM after lockdown (23:07). She then shares more Zwift Tour for All insights, and tips & tricks (28:49), before telling how she plans to implement indoor training in her program and whether we may see it affect race results in the future (34:44).

Peter Schep, Head of Performance of EF Pro Cycling, shares his wisdom on this episode of the Tacx Turbo Talks. He talks about his first steps in coaching (2:39), his role at EF Pro Cycling (5:25), coaching riders during the Coronavirus (12:32), his advice and 3-week training plan for amateur cyclists (25:04), and he tackles a common misconception about training in the fan question of the week (36:10).

Gino Mäder of NTT Pro Cycling joins the Tacx Turbo Talks podcast. He talks about riding The Digital Swiss 5 from home (0:59), learning from his teammates at NTT Pro Cycling and other role models (9:42), adapting to the World Tour and wanting to prove himself in 2020 (16:22). He then answers a colleague's Tacx Turbo Talks fan question of the week (22:49), before opening up on the meaning of bicycles in the life of himself and others (24:56).

Zdenek Stybar of Deceuninck - Quick Step is the latest guest on the Tacx Turbo Talks podcast. He tells how he is adapting to the current situation of having no races on the calendar (1:09), how he worked towards his favourite races of the year (5:15), and his thoughts on spring classics later in the year (8:52). He then shares his experience on his first virtual race De Ronde 2020 Lockdown edition (9:56), if he could see himself riding more virtual races (14:50), and to wrap it up he answers the Tacx Turbo Talks fan question of the week on pastry, beer, and more (16:55).

Chris Juul-Jensen of Mitchelton-SCOTT joins the Tacx Turbo Talks to talk about the team's virtual rides calendar. He first gives us an update about life in Denmark during the COVID19 events and how he has adjusted his training by simulating his own Paris-Nice (1:03), before he shares how he is really getting caught up in the world of Zwift (6:20), his excitement for the team's Bike Exchange 'Where The World Rides Series' and what the 'JJ Special' could look like as an event (12:04). He then asks for tips to master his Zwift skills (19:55), before he looks ahead to what could be on his schedule when road racing commences again (21:12).

Nino Schurter of Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team joins the Tacx Turbo Talks to talk about the upcoming Cape Epic and the Olympic year. He talks about trying to win his third Cape Epic title in South Africa, the challenges of the race and what makes it so special (1:51), his preparation for the 2020 season and recent test results (7:54), his program towards the Olympic Games and his thoughts on the Olympic course (14:28), before he answers several Tacx Turbo Talks fan questions (20:52)

Chantal Blaak of Boels - Dolmans Cycling Team joins the Tacx Turbo Talks to talk about the start of her 2020 season. She talks about a name change after her marriage in the off season (1:07), her honeymoon (3:15), her preparation for the new season (4:14), and how training has changed throughout her career (5:22). She then shares how a back injury influenced her 2019 season (7:52), how she is fine tuning her form for the classics campaign (10:20), the stability and strength of the team (11:01), what her springs classics campaign will look like (13:59), and her ambition to make it to Tokyo 2020 (15:47). She then answers the Tacx Turbo Talks fan question of the week with her recovery tips (17:43), and talks about the importance of eating and drinking enough (20:03).

Damien Howson of Mitchelton-Scott joins the Tacx Turbo Talks to talk about the Australian summer of cycling and his upcoming 2020 season. He talks about kicking off the season Down Under with Nationals and Race Torquay (0:50), discusses scenarios for the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (3:55), and looks ahead to the Jayco Herald Sun Tour being a former winner of the race (5:26). Damien then shares his racing calendar for the first part of the 2020 season (8:08), how he sees his role develop on the team (9:03), and why he turned away a bit from the time trial bike after winning the U23 World Championships in 2013 in that discipline (10:43). To wrap things up he answers the Tacx Turbo Talks fan question of the week (14:12).

2019 Zwift Academy winner Jessica Pratt of CANYON//SRAM Racing joins the Tacx Turbo Talks. She shares what made her decide to compete in the Zwift Academy (1:26), the challenging route to become a professional cyclist in Australia (4:03), her Zwift Academy journey from making the semi-finals all the way to the final training camp in Spain (5:00), starting her professional career racing in Australia (8:54), the special vibe in Adelaide for the Tour Down Under (10:38), and her goals for the rest of the Aussie summer of cycling and 2020 (12:07). To wrap things up she answers the Tacx Turbo Talks fan question of the week (14:15).

CANYON//SRAM Racing's team manager and sports director Ronny Lauke joins the Tacx Turbo Talks to talk about the final of the Zwift Academy 2019. He explains how the idea of the Zwift Academy started (1:54), the qualification process of the Zwift Academy and the aim of the training camp with CANYON//SRAM Racing (4:04), the selection criteria and process to determine the winner (7:27), how the final call is being made (10:55), how the team is involved in the Zwift Academy from the start (11:20), how past winners have developed within the team and why age is not a limiting factor (12:45), the integration and evaluation of the Zwift Academy winner within the team (15:19), his best advice for the three finalists (20:59), and the growth of cycling as an e-sport (23:35).

CANYON//SRAM Racing's team manager and sports director Ronny Lauke joins the Tacx Turbo Talks to talk about the final of the Zwift Academy 2019. He explains how the idea of the Zwift Academy started (1:54), the qualification process of the Zwift Academy and the aim of the training camp with CANYON//SRAM Racing (4:04), the selection criteria and process to determine the winner (7:27), how the final call is being made (10:55), how the team is involved in the Zwift Academy from the start (11:20), how past winners have developed within the team and why age is not a limiting factor (12:45), the integration and evaluation of the Zwift Academy winner within the team (15:19), his best advice for the three finalists (20:59), and the growth of cycling as an e-sport (23:35).

Sebastian Kienle joins the 25th episode of the Tacx Turbo Talks to look back at the Ironman World Championships and his 2019 season. He talks about how he deals with the post Kona blues (0:47), his feelings about the race and his entire 2019 season (3:45), how his mindset helped him to a podium finish (5:35), the financial and sportive benefits of finishing 3rd instead of 4th (8:45), his special friendship with Ben Hoffmann (12:30), his motivation and appreciation for the life as a professional triathlete (16:30), and his favourite Tacx workout (20:42). He then takes the time to answer a great variety of Tacx Turbo Talks fan questions: from his current FTP to where he'll spend Christmas, and from his favourite 70.3 course to who he thinks could be the next non-German winner in Kona (23:32). Enjoy!

Sven Nys on the upcoming cyclocross season, the state of the sport, MVDP and WVA, and more (Ep. 24) by Tacx

Mikkel Honoré of Deceuninck - Quick Step joins the Tacx Turbo Talks this weeks. He looks ahead to the Tacx Pro Classic and its challenging conditions (1:04), shares his experiences riding on Dutch roads (2:05), his expectations for the race (4:09), the main lesson and highlight in his first year as a pro (5:53), his outlook for next season and his off season plans (9:17), what it was like racing with Elia Viviani (13:17), and he answers the Tacx Turbo Talks fan question of the week (14:51).

Patrik Nilsson of BMC Vifit Pro Triathlon Team joins the Tacx Turbo Talks to preview the triathlon World Championships in Kona. He talks about acclimatising to hot and humid conditions (1:16), what makes Kona so special compared to other races (2:45), how he dealt with struggling from cramping issues in 2018 (5:42), his goal for this year's race and the ideal scenario (8:10), the benchmark that the Germans Jan Frodeno, Patrick Lange, and Sebastian Kienle are setting in the sport (11:25), and he attempts to make podium predictions (13:28). Patrik then reveals the secret about his hair in the Tacx Turbo Talks fan question of the week (15:16), before giving a tip to age-group triathletes to improve their cycling (16:02) and his favourite Tacx workout (17:04).

Anna van der Breggen of Boels - Dolmans Cycling Team joins the Tacx Turbo Talks from Yorkshire to chat about the World Championships. She talks about her silver medal in the time trial (0:56), her year in the rainbow jersey (2:20), deciding on the team tactics with a chance to go back-to-back world titles (3:50), how the challenging course and weather conditions can affect the race (6:04), the myth of the knitted rainbow coloured cycling gloves (11:20), her impressive resume and goals for the future (12:04), and she answers the Tacx Turbo Talks fan question of the week (13:27).

Alex Dowsett of Team Katusha Alpecin joins the Tacx Turbo Talks podcast. He talks about the Tour of Britain and the growth of cycling in the UK (0:44), his focus on the time trial and his tailored preparation for the World Championships in Yorkshire (3:41), the course and length of the time trial (7:56), the world hour record and his ambition for a new attempt (9:53), the favourites for the world time trial title (14:11), the phenomenon Remco Evenepoel (15:59), MVDP being the favourite for the road race (21:08), and his own expectations (22:14). He then answers the Tacx Turbo Talks fan question of the week (23:26), before talking about his condition haemophilia and his charity Little Bleeders (24:06).

Alberto Contador is this week's guest on the Tacx Turbo Talks. ‘El Pistolero’ talks about finishing his career on a high in La Vuelta 2017 (1:15), how he keeps fit and trains on the Tacx Neo 2 to prepare for his Gran Fondo (1:50), his favourite workout on the Neo 2 (4:00), this year's Vuelta and his observations in the GC battle (5:42), his favourite Vuelta memory and preferred Grand Tour (8:51), what makes La Vuelta often so unpredictable (10:37), why he started his own team through his foundation (12:45), and the World Tour ambitions for his team (14:55). To finish the show, he answers the Tacx Turbo Talks fan question of the week (16:54).

Felix Großschartner of BORA - Hansgrohe joins the Tacx Turbo Talks on the first rest day of La Vuelta. He discusses his rest day activities (0:53), the first week of racing and his focus for this Vuelta (2:09), playing FIFA with other riders in the peloton (4:01), the objective for the rest of the Vuelta (5:10), switching from skiing to cycling (7:43), and his development over the years and future goals (9:41). He then answers the Tacx Turbo Talks fan question of the week (12:52), and talks about the band of brothers within BORA - Hansgrohe (14:04).

Sebastian Fini of CST Sandd Bafang MTB Racing Team joins the Tacx Turbo Talks podcast to chat about the 2019 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships. He talks about missing out on the podium in the Team Relay event (0:48), the course in Mont-Saint-Anne and how he adapts to the circumstances (2:55), the importance of the start (7:25), the variation in his training (9:39), how he started racing on a MTB (11:35), and his goals for the Cross Country event and the future (12:18). He then answers the Tacx Turbo Talks fan question of the week (14:48), before finishing with rapid fire (15:36).